1. Technical Field
The present invention is directed in general to provisioning entertainment and information programming that is location-relevant, and in particular, to a method for providing such programming to handheld devices, automobile navigation systems, and airplane in-flight entertainment systems.
2. Background
Methods for providing location-relevant data to location-aware devices are well-known. But the majority of such methods describe visual-only information such as text or icons on a map, and not audio or video media. Of the few methods that do concern location-triggered “rich” media such as audio or video, none of them describes ability past the simple triggering of such media when the user is near a certain point of interest. The present invention furthers the Art by creating the ability to prioritize and sequence the relevant assets into an intelligently-ordered playlist, creating the impression of a cohesive entertainment program.
This method is envisioned for devices such as iPhones, Blackberrys, smartphones, cell phones, and other devices that are location-aware, either by using GPS and/or using other location-finding methods. Another incarnation is for navigation units that reside in cars and other ground vehicles. A further incarnation is for the in-flight entertainment system of airplanes.
Location-triggered players for playing location-based content on an airplane do not exist. A market survey of the In-Flight Entertainment (IFE) managers of the major US airlines confirms that such a technology has never existed on their airplanes, nor is it known to ever have been suggested to them as an available product. However, once having heard of such a prospective product—with which passengers hear a guided tour of the landscape, incorporating music, documentary, and explanations of the places they see out the window at that very moment—interest among these service buyers is high. In this realm, the current invention is unique.
Prior Art of GPS-Triggered Audio Devices
GPS-triggered audio devices for automobiles are known. But the majority of the art concerns itself with methods for conveying traffic and weather information. In a small number of instances, it is an explicitly stated function of a technology to provide other information such as “point-of-interest” information or advertisements. In very few cases is the function to provide geo-specific “entertainment.” The current state of the art, even in its incarnation most closely approximating “entertainment,” is rudimentary in creating what is known among entertainment industry professionals as “entertainment value.”
To with: in even the most advanced form of the existing art, there may be long gaps between audio assets; if there is a mixture of categories (music, documentary, simple ID's), there is no thoughtful order to alternate such assets, and there may be a stream of same-category assets; there is no ability to direct the listener's gaze right or left, depending where the point-of-interest is; there is no utility to tell the listener via audio how far away the point-of-interest is; if a driver is following a historic trail, there is no utility to tell the story differently going North than going South; there is no functionality to fade down music, play a point-of-interest asset simultaneously, and fade the music back up; there is no forward-thinking algorithm that predicts the time available to a milestone ahead and chooses an asset that will fit within the time available; there is no utility to intelligently balance assets which are short (e.g. 3 seconds) with those that are long (e.g. a mini-documentary, which may last 3 minutes); or to prioritize assets that are geo-specific (e.g. identification of a town), against those that can be played anytime but should find a home in the playlist sometime (e.g. a song about a state).
The impression, therefore, is less “entertainment” and more “information,” and less “tour guide” and more of a string of unconnected audio assets. The current art is able to play individual audio assets which may in themselves be entertaining. But there is a need for a technology that synthesizes these assets in a manner that approximates the production value of a professional radio program.
Prior Art of GPS-Triggered Advertising
Although some existing applications are designed to play advertisements, none of them is designed with specific functionality to interweave advertisements with entertainment. Technologies designed for advertisements but not entertainment will only be effective if the user is willing to hear nothing but advertisements. However, two entire industries, television and radio, are based on the well-known successful formula of interweaving advertisements within entertainment programming. If used to its capability, the current invention can create the impression of an entertaining radio station of music, storytelling, and advertisements. If geo-relevant advertisements are part of programming that viewers are already listening to (if, for example, a song ends and then the listener hears, “I see you're approaching Exit 7—come eat at Joe's Diner”), such advertisement placement will be more attractive to advertisers than the current art can provide.
For the preceding reasons, there is a need for such a system and method, for handheld units, automobiles, and airplanes.
Prior Art of Music Scheduling
Integrating an automated scheduling component into the current invention will solve the aforementioned drawbacks. Such “playlist” programs are well-known, but have not been integrated into GPS-triggered systems. Such programs allow music programmers such as radio station managers to input rules concerning the placement and importance of songs (for example, to disallow two songs from the same artist to play within the same hour), with the result that the algorithm prioritizes assets from the music library and schedules them correctly.